14th of August 2023

Fall 2023 Season Announcement

August 14, 2023 Cave Canem Announces Fall 2023 Programming Season, Award, and Fellowship Opportunities   BROOKLYN, NY –  Today, Cave Canem, the leading non-profit organization committed to cultivating the artistic…

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10th of July 2023

Black and white headshots of Cave Canem Fellows devorah wilson and Bakar Wilson side by side. major is laughing with her eyes closed. She has long curly hair, and is wering a dark top with the illustration of a fish. She has long earrings and a light-colored braclet. Wilson is smiling and is looking directly into the camera. He has dark glasses, long dark locs, a thin metallic necklace. He is s wearing a dark-colored henley that layers on top of a white v-neck shirt.
Fall 2023 Regional Workshops Go to Oakland

This fall Cave Canem is excited to bring Regional Workshops to Oakland, California! With support from the Poetry Foundation, Cave Canem continues to expand Regional Workshops to Black poets nationwide.…

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28th of June 2023

On the left, there is a black and white photo of author and new Cave Canem Board Member Terri Ellen Cross Davis smiling and looking directly into the camera. She has short dark hair, and is wearing large hoop earrings, a necklace chain, and a brightly colored scoop-neck top. To the right, there is a black and white photo of author and new Cave Canem Board Member Kwame Dawes smiling softly and looking off to the left. He is bald and wearing glasses. He has a gray and white beard, and is wearing a dark scarf and a black coat.
Board of Directors Welcomes Two New Members

Cave Canem is pleased to announce Teri Ellen Cross Davis and Kwame Dawes as the newest additions to its Board of Directors. As we continue to grow our community and…

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16th of June 2023

Magnitude and Bond: A Field Study on Black Literary Arts Service Organizations

We are excited to announce a Cave Canem and Ithaka S+R research collaboration funded by The Wallace Foundation! Ithaka S+R is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to designing and evaluating projects…

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6th of June 2023

2023 Retreat Faculty Readings

With the 27th annual Retreat fast approaching, we would like to invite you to this year’s Faculty Readings in Greensburg and Pittsburgh! Faculty Readings are an opportunity for the general…

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23rd of May 2023

Graphic announcing Cave Canem Fellows & Faculty Fund Project Grantees furthering accessibility to Black poetry"
2023 Fellows & Faculty Fund Project Grantees

BROOKLYN, New York (May 23, 2023) — Cave Canem is excited to announce its 2023 Fellows & Faculty Fund Project Grantees Sheila Carter-Jones, Mary-Alice Daniel, Taylor Johnson, and Arisa White. Due to the support…

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28th of April 2023

Cover image of Cave Canem's New 2023 Strategic Plan.
THE FUTURE OF BLACK POETS AND POETRY: CAVE CANEM’S NEW VISION AND MISSION


BROOKLYN, New York (April 28, 2023) — On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff, we are pleased to share with you Cave Canem’s new guiding principles. These principles…

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27th of April 2023

Graphic of Kenny Carroll and Edil Hassan side by side. Kenny Carroll is in front of a brick wall tagged with graffiti. He is wearing a black shirt and a necklace. He has dark hair and is looking straight at the camera.Edil Hassan is in front of a dark gradient background. She is wearing a blouse, several charmed necklaces, and a patterned, light-colored hat. She is looking directly into the camera and has dark hair.
Roger Reeves Selects 2023 Starshine and Clay Fellows

BROOKLYN, New York (April 27, 2023) — Cave Canem and EcoTheo Collective are honored to announce the recipients of the 2023 Starshine and Clay Fellowship, which provides creative and financial…

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10th of April 2023

Poster announcing the 2023 Cave Canem Poetry Prize is open for submissions until May 10, 2023. On the left of the poster is a black and white headshot of judge Colleen J. McElroy. She is looking off camera. She has multiple earrings in her ears, a nose ring, a ruffled dark scarf, and a dark colored top. She has dark hair in a crown braid and smaller braids.
Colleen J. McElroy to Judge 2023 Cave Canem Poetry Prize

Submissions are now open for the 2023 Cave Canem Poetry Prize, to be judged by Colleen J. McElroy. The annual contest is dedicated to the discovery of first books by…

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20th of March 2023

Alt Text: Black and white profile headshot of Merideth Nnoka. She is wearing dark-frame glasses and metallic hoop earrings. She has dark curly hair and is smiling. She is looking to the right off camera. 
Meredith Nnoka Wins the 2022 Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize

We are honored to announce that Herman Beavers has selected Meredith Nnoka as the winner of the 2022 Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady Cave Canem Chapbook Prize. Nnoka will receive…

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7th of March 2023

Alt-Text: The text graphic reads "Cave Canem at AWP Mar 8-11, 2023.
Cave Canem at AWP 2023!

Cave Canem is attending the 2023 AWP Conference in Seattle, Washington! This year, the conference runs from March 8-March 11, 2023. If you plan to attend AWP, say hello at…

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2nd of February 2023

A graphic that reads "Cave Canem's Cultural Preservation Project."
Cave Canem and CAAPP are Pleased to Announce the Cultural Preservation Project

BROOKLYN, New York (February 2, 2023)— In celebration of Black History Month 2023, Cave Canem and the Center for African American Poetry and Poetics (CAAPP) are pleased to announce the…

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1st of February 2023

Alt-text: Black and white collage of Spring 2023 Season featured poets.
Spring 2023 Season Announcement

This spring, Cave Canem brings into focus poets working in the deep groove of their subject’s interiority. The spring season opens with Robin Coste Lewis‘s To the Realization of Perfect Helplessness, in…

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18th of January 2023

Black and white headshots of Jacqueline Trimble, Danez Smith, and Falú.
Cave Canem Expands Regional Workshops Nationwide

With support from the Poetry Foundation, Cave Canem’s 2023 Regional Workshops are now available to participants outside of New York City. This year, Spring 2023 workshops will take place in…

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5th of January 2023

Alt-Text: Poster announcing the Cave Canem Fellows & Faculty Fund Project Grants.
Fellows & Faculty Fund Expanded to Include Project Grants

BROOKLYN, New York (January 4, 2023) — Cave Canem established the Fellows & Faculty Fund in 2020, originally to help support members of our community during a time of global…

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2nd of January 2023

Black and white headshot of 2023 Starshine and Clay Fellowship judge Roger Reeves. Roger is looking directly into the camera. He has short black hair, a black mustache, and is wearing a light polka dot oxford shirt. He is standing in front of a nature background.
Roger Reeves Will Judge 2023 Starshine and Clay Fellowship

BROOKLYN, New York (January 2, 2023) — Cave Canem and EcoTheo Collective are pleased to announce that submissions are open for the 2023 Starshine and Clay Fellowship, which provides creative…

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30th of November 2022

This is a Black and white headshot of Courtney Faye Taylor. She sis seated beside a house plant and in front of lit window. She is wearing a white dress and hoop earrings. Shis is looking directly at the camera and has dark hair.
CONCENTRATE is Anti-erasure: An Interview with Courtney Faye Taylor

2021 Cave Canem Prize Winner  Fellow: 2022 Rachel Eliza Griffiths selected Courtney Faye Taylor as the winner of the 2021 Cave Canem Poetry Prize for her manuscript Concentrate, published by…

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17th of November 2022

Apply to the Cave Canem Fellowship

BROOKLYN, N.Y., November 10, 2022 — The application is now open for the Cave Canem Fellowship. Black poets, ages 21 and over, are eligible to apply. There is no submission…

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7th of October 2022

Herman Beavers Will Judge 2022 Toi Derricotte And Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize

BROOKLYN, New York., October 7, 2022 — Submissions are now open for the 2022 Toi Derricotte And Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize. This year’s judge is Herman Beavers. The deadline for…

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21st of September 2022

Quenton Baker, Chekwube Danladi, and Anastacia-Reneé's headshots are placed side-by-side in B&W.
Join Cave Canem at 2022 Dodge Poetry Festival

Cave Canem Presents Anticenter: Black Poetic Composition at the Margins with Quenton Baker, Chekwube Danladi & Anastacia-Reneé 2022 Dodge Poetry Festival October 22, 2022 at 11:00-12:10PM Newark Museum, Billy Johnson…

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7th of September 2022

Headshot of Ariana Benson. Her headshot is B&W. Ariana's gaze is directly toward thw camera. She is wearing chain linked earrings and a singular necklace.
ARIANA BENSON WINS 2022 CAVE CANEM POETRY PRIZE

BROOKLYN, New York., Sept. 7, 2022 — Willie Perdomo has selected Ariana Benson as the winner of the 2022 Cave Canem Poetry Prize for her manuscript Black Pastoral. Benson will…

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1st of September 2022

Explore African American Sonnets with Reginald Harris

Regional Workshop (NYC): “all swirl and pivot:” African-American  Sonnets with Reginald Harris Mondays, 6:00PM – 9:00PM | Public Reading December 5 Cave Canem Foundation Visit our Submittable page to Apply…

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29th of August 2022

Engage Poetry Without The Poem

In Conversation: Simone White & The Friend  6:00PM – 7:30PM The New School RSVP for Virtual Only Event Simone White and The Friend discuss White’s newly released book or, on…

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22nd of August 2022

Fall 2022 Season Announcement

In the last two and a half years, it seems for some that time has stood still or, for others, disappeared. Our individual and collective memory for the duration of a…

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1st of August 2022

2022 Starshine and Clay Fellows

                BROOKLYN, NEW YORK (August 1, 2022) — Cave Canem and EcoTheo Collective are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 Starshine…

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6th of July 2022

2022 Retreat Class Photo

Our 2022 Retreat was Cave Canem’s first Retreat since 2019 (postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions). Also, this year’s Retreat was Cave Canem’s first free Retreat. Lisa Willis, Executive Director of…

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20th of June 2022

Juneteenth with Cave Canem at The Met

Our nation’s newest holiday is indeed cause to celebrate. For many Black people, Juneteenth represents freedom at a greater depth than Independence Day. Hopefully, in times to come, it will…

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17th of June 2022

Cave Canem’s Getting Word Book List

In preparation for #Juneteenth, read the work of Black Authors curated by Cave Canem poets, a member of the historic Getting Word Coalition! 10% of your purchase will be contributed to…

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14th of June 2022

Getting Word: Black Literature for Black Liberation

on July 4th, we remember that American independence did not mean Black liberation. Getting Word’s campaign to #FundBlackLiterature is an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the vitality and resilience…

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4th of June 2022

Cave Canem & New York Botanical Garden Present African American Garden: Remembrance and Resilience

    The last decade has given rise to many conversations about African American contributions to the national cuisine, so the opening of African American Garden: Remembrance & Resilience is…

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11th of May 2022

2019 Cave Canem fellows in a candid group shot smiling and taking selfies.
The 2022 Cave Canem Retreat is Free!

It is our great pleasure to announce that in honor of Cave Canem’s 25th Anniversary, the Cave Canem Board of Directors and our Executive Director have determined this year’s annual…

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6th of May 2022

Announcing 2022 Cave Canem/Maison Baldwin Fellow Ashunda Norris

Check out our new partnership with La Maison Baldwin! We’ve joined forces to create the Cave Canem/Maison Baldwin Fellowship— an opportunity for an LGBTQ+ Cave Canem fellow. Our inaugural winner…

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7th of March 2022

This a graphic poster with the copy "Welcome Dante Micheaux and Matthew Raybeam to Cave Canem's Team!" in the center left of the graphic. The Cave Canem Dog mark is present in the bottom right hand corner.
Welcome Dante Micheaux & Matthew Raybeam to the Cave Canem Team!

We are delighted to announce new staff additions to the Cave Canem Team! Dante Micheaux will be joining us as our Director of Programs. Matthew Raybeam joins us as our…

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18th of February 2022

Cave Canem 25th Anniversary March 23-25, 2022
Cave Canem at AWP 2022!

  Join us at the 2022 AWP Conference & Bookfair March 23-26, 2022! We are excited to bring our year-long 25th Anniversary Celebration to Philidelphia, Pennsylvania. If you plan to…

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27th of January 2022

Dante Micheaux is looking off camera. He is wearing a three piece plaid-patterned suit, a light plaid button-up shirt, and a sheen tie with a pattern. He has a dark full beard and a bald hairstyle.
Welcoming Dante Micheaux as 25th Anniversary Curator & Artistic Advisor

We are delighted to announce that Dante Micheaux will be joining us as our 25th Anniversary Curator & Artistic Advisor! Dante Micheaux is the author of Amorous Shepherd and Circus, which won the Four Quartets Prize from…

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26th of January 2022

Stephanie is smiling. She is wearing a dark blazer, a dark v-neck blouse, and a charm necklace. She has dark hair in tight curls.
Welcoming Stephanie George as Development Manager

We are so excited to welcome Stephanie George as Development Manager here at Cave Canem! Stephanie George is a storyteller, curator, and grassroots fundraiser, from the Bronx, NY. She has…

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25th of January 2022

This is a portrait of Demetrius Buckley. He is illustrated in black and white. His bust is positioned in front of a dark gradient background. He is wearing a white shirt. He has short dark hair and a focused look.
Demetrius “Meech” Buckley Wins 2021 Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize

We are honored to announce that Lillian-Yvonne Bertram has selected Demetrius “Meech” Buckley as the winner of the 2021 Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady Cave Canem Chapbook Prize for his…

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10th of January 2022

Photo of 2022 Cave Canem Poetry Prize Judge Willie Perdomo. Perdomo is wearing black glasses, a white dress shirt buttoned to the color, a black leather jacket, gray beard, and a bald hair style.
Willie Perdomo to Judge 2022 Cave Canem Poetry Prize

Submissions are now open for the 2022 Cave Canem Poetry Prize, to be judged by Willie Perdomo. The annual contest is dedicated to the discovery of first books by Black…

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18th of October 2021

CNN Style logo
Cave Canem in the Press: CNN Style

October 17, 2021—Cave Canem was featured in the CNN Style article titled “Poetry is experiencing a new golden age, with young writers of color taking the lead” Cave Canem Foundation,…

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13th of September 2021

Graphic with the words "Fall 2021" in the middle. Behind it is a black and white collage of our Fall 2021 featured writers.
Announcing our Fall 2021 Season

We are delighted to share our virtual Fall 2021 public programs! In addition to our amazing reading series and craft talks, this season features two new partnerships and special 25th…

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8th of September 2021

Black and white photograph of Courtney Faye Taylor (smiling, right hand resting on head, left hand resting on collar, light colored dress, long earrings, dark hair)
Courtney Faye Taylor Wins 2021 Cave Canem Poetry Prize

Rachel Eliza Griffiths has selected Courtney Faye Taylor as the winner of the 2021 Cave Canem Poetry Prize for her manuscript Concentrate. Taylor will receive $1,000 and publication by Graywolf Press…

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13th of July 2021

Lillian-Yvonne Bertram to Judge the 2021 Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize
Lillian-Yvonne Bertram to Judge the 2021 Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize

  Submissions are now open for the 2021 Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize, to be judged by Lillian-Yvonne Bertram. The annual contest is dedicated to the discovery of exceptional chapbook-length manuscripts…

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28th of May 2021

Lisa Willis Appointed Interim Executive Director

The Board of Directors of Cave Canem Foundation, Inc., North America’s premier home for Black poetry, is pleased to announce that Lisa Willis has been appointed the organization’s Interim Executive…

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14th of May 2021

Join us at the Cave Canem 25th Anniversary Reunion!

Cave Canem is pleased to announce the Cave Canem 25th Anniversary Reunion, a virtual gathering taking place June 13-19, 2021. The reunion is in celebration of the Cave Canem Fellowship…

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11th of May 2021

Introducing the Inagural Starshine and Clay Fellows

Cave Canem and the EcoTheo Collective are pleased to announce that Gregory Pardlo has selected Michael Frazier, Asmaa Jama, Oak Morse, and Ashunda Norris for the inaugural Starshine and Clay…

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25th of March 2021

New Dreams, a Folio of Poems Centering the Environment

Cave Canem and Lambda Literary announce the publication of New Dreams, a folio of commissioned poems by Kay Ulanday Barrett, Bernard Ferguson, torrin a. greathouse, and Khadijah Queen that center the environment.…

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3rd of March 2021

Rachel Eliza Griffiths to Judge 2021 Cave Canem Poetry Prize

Submissions are now open for the 2021 Cave Canem Poetry Prize, to be judged by Rachel Eliza Griffiths. The annual contest is dedicated to the discovery of first books by…

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26th of February 2021

Hallelujah-strong: In Honor of Former Board President Amanda Johnston

Cave Canem recently celebrated the election of new executive officers to our Board of Directors. With this transition, we also uplift the work of outgoing executive officers, including former Board…

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22nd of February 2021

Brionne Janae Wins 2020 Cave Canem Northwestern University Press Poetry Prize

Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon has selected Brionne Janae’s Blessed are the Peacemakers as the winner of the 2020 Cave Canem Northwestern University Press Poetry Prize. The biennial award is for a…

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12th of February 2021

Gifts of the Archivists: Cultivating Community

Remica Bingham-Risher There are fewer memories clearer for me during the time just after grad school than the evening Naomi Long Madgett called to tell me I’d won the book…

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5th of February 2021

Cave Canem Launches Notebooks & Pens

Notebooks & Pens is a passionate community of recurring donors that help to transform the literary arts into a field where Black poets thrive, and impact the lives of readers…

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2nd of February 2021

Announcing our spring 2021 season!

We’re delighted to share our spring 2021 season! As we continue to add to the list of events included here, we look forward to kicking off the season with “Writers’ Worktable:…

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15th of January 2021

Board of Directors Elects New Executive Officers

Cave Canem’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce its recently elected executive officers. Tyehimba Jess will serve as president, Novella Ford and Cornelius Eady as co-vice presidents, Allen Drexel…

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14th of January 2021

Cave Canem South: Reflections of Black Literary Activism

Kwame Dawes Cave Canem South In the mid-2000s, I put together a proposal for Cave Canem to consider the establishment of a series of short workshops that focused on the…

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Wale Ayinla Wins 2020 Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize

Mahogany L. Browne has selected Wale Ayinla as the winner of the 2020 Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize for his manuscript To Caste a Dream. Browne notes: “The collection, To…

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2nd of December 2020

Announcing the Starshine and Clay Fellowship for Emerging Black Poets

Cave Canem, EcoTheo Review, and LOGOS Poetry Collective are pleased to announce the launch of the Starshine and Clay Fellowship, a new initiative providing financial and development support to emerging…

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9th of October 2020

Cave Canem Welcomes Development Manager Lisa Willis

The Board of Directors of Cave Canem Foundation, Inc., North America’s premier home for Black poetry, is pleased to welcome Lisa Willis as the organization’s first full time Development Manager. She…

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11th of September 2020

Announcing our fall 2020 season!

Cave Canem is pleased to announce our fall 2020 season! We are delighted to kick off the fall with Douglas Kearney, who will present “I Killed, I Died: Banter, Self-Destruction,…

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8th of September 2020

Aurielle Marie Wins 2020 Cave Canem Poetry Prize

Douglas Kearney has selected Aurielle Marie as the winner of the 2020 Cave Canem Poetry Prize for her manuscript Gumbo Ya Ya. Kearney notes: “Some writers write poetry to flex…

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27th of July 2020

5 Debut Queer Poets on What to Read for the Sealey Challenge

                Poet Nicole Sealey, former executive director of Cave Canem, began the Sealey Challenge as a way to seriously commit to reading poetry in spite of artistic, professional,…

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9th of July 2020

Mahogany L. Browne to Judge the 2020 Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize

Cave Canem is pleased to announce that Cave Canem fellow Mahogany L. Browne will judge the 2020 Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize, an annual prize dedicated to the…

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6th of July 2020

Dear Editor——: An Open Letter from Douglas Kearney

Scant days after Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd on May 25, 2020, I received an email from an editor of an online magazine. The email was a request to respond…

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8th of June 2020

Message of Hope from Toi Derricotte

Dear Cave Canem Community, Many of us are hurting right now. From where I am in New Orleans, I can hear the outrage of many communities across the country. I…

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19th of May 2020

Ann Marie Lonsdale Appointed Cave Canem Foundation’s Fourth Executive Director

The Board of Directors of Cave Canem Foundation, Inc., North America’s premier home for Black poetry, is pleased to announce that Ann Marie Lonsdale has been named the organization’s fourth Executive Director. Lonsdale replaces Sandra Bowie, who served as Interim Executive Director following the departure of Nicole Sealey in June 2019. 

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23rd of April 2020

National Poetry Month: Staff Book Picks

As always, our staff has also been discovering new books and returning to old favorites. Here is a list of what we’ve been getting into this month, with hopes that this glimpse into our reading practices inspires you to find new reads for the months ahead. 

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6th of April 2020

DOGBYTES Interview: Marissa Davis

Marissa Davis is a poet and translator from Paducah, Kentucky, currently residing in Brooklyn, New York. Her original poems have appeared in The Carolina Quarterly, Rattle, The Iowa Review, Sundog…

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1st of April 2020

Submit to the 2020 Cave Canem Northwestern University Press Poetry Prize

The 2020 Cave Canem Northwestern University Press Poetry Prize is now open for submissions! Launched in 2009, the prize is a second-book award for black poets of African descent, offered every…

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19th of March 2020

Literary Balms: A Virtual Community Writing Project

This week, Cave Canem has been taking steps to ensure the safety of our staff and the poets we serve during the COVID-19 pandemic. But we have also been thinking…

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27th of February 2020

Malcolm H. Tariq Appointed Cave Canem Foundation Programs & Communications Manager

Brooklyn, NY (24 February 2020)—The Board of Directors of Cave Canem Foundation, Inc., North America’s premier home for Black poetry, is pleased to announce that Malcolm Tariq has been appointed…

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13th of January 2020

Announcing the Winner of the 2019 Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize

Cave Canem congratulates Marissa Davis, whose manuscript, My Name & Other Languages I Am Learning How to Speak, has been selected by prize judge Danez Smith as winner of the 2019 Cave…

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12th of January 2020

Submit to the 2020 Cave Canem Poetry Prize

The 2020 Cave Canem Poetry Prize is now open for submission! Launched in 1999 with Rita Dove’s selection of Natasha Trethewey’s Domestic Work, this first-book award is dedicated to the discovery of exceptional…

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2nd of January 2020

Poet of the Week: Samantha Thornhill

Bring Back Bring back the brown faces missing from milk cartons. Bring back our lost, our girls from Accra, Laventille, Gugulethu & the Bronx; dredge them up from swamps on…

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4th of September 2019

Cave Canem’s Fall Season Kicks Off with Poets at the End of the World

An overflowing room of more than 65 attendees gathered in Cave Canem’s Brooklyn loft on August 13, 2019 for Cave Canem’s first event of the fall season: an intimate and…

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5th of August 2019

A Spotlight on the Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize

This year, Cave Canem will open its fifth annual Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize. Established in 2015 by Cave Canem fellow and former Executive Director Nicole Sealey, in collaboration…

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1st of July 2019

The 2019 Cave Canem Retreat Album!

Cave Canem’s week-long retreat for Black poets at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg took place June 9 –15, 2019, and brought together writers from diverse poetic traditions. The retreat…

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4th of June 2019

Reflecting on “Yusef Komunyakaa: A Celebration”

On May 11, 2019, an audience of more than 300 gathered at New York University for a day-long tribute to the living legend, poet Yusef Komunyakaa. The tribute began with…

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29th of April 2019

Cave Canem at AWP Portland

This past March, Cave Canem joined hundreds of literary institutions and thousands of writers for the AWP conference in Portland, Oregon. Cave Canem’s first stop on March 27 was at Literary Arts,…

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17th of April 2019

DOGBYTES Interview: Kwoya Fagin Maples

Kwoya Fagin Maples’ debut poetry collection, MEND, (University Press of Kentucky, 2018) was finalist for the AWP Prize and received a grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation. Maples holds an MFA…

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4th of April 2019

Letter from the Executive Director

Dear Cave Canem Family & Friends, As we look toward the 25th anniversary, it is remarkable to think that Cave Canem was once just an idea of our forward-thinking founders…

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3rd of April 2019

Party for the People: A Recap

On Thursday March 14, Amarachi—a Black-owned, Brooklyn-based restaurant—hosted Party for the People, a poetry pop-up dance party co-presented by Cave Canem and Lambda Literary, founding members of the Poetry Coalition. The party…

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19th of March 2019

DOGBYTES Interview: Christopher Rose

Christopher Rose is originally from Seattle, Washington. His poems have appeared in Crabfat, Chelsea Station, Fjords Review, The Pariahs Anthology, Yellow Chair Review, TAYO Literary Magazine, The Hawaii Review, Drunk…

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11th of March 2019

DOGBYTES Interview: Myronn Hardy

Myronn Hardy is the author of five books of poems: Approaching the Center, winner of the PEN/Oakland Josephine Miles Award, The Headless Saints, winner of the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, Catastrophic Bliss,…

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28th of February 2019

Cave Canem Visits Beinecke Library at Yale University

Fall of 2014 marked a critical moment in Cave Canem’s institutional history: the organization’s archives—which contain a number of print and digital materials documenting Cave Canem’s history, growth and impact—were…

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19th of February 2019

DOGBYTES Interview: Teri Ellen Cross Davis

Teri Ellen Cross Davis is the author of Haint (Gival Press, 2017), winner of the 2017 Ohioana Book Award for Poetry.  She has been awarded residencies at Hedgebrook, the Soul…

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8th of February 2019

Cave Canem Board Transition Announcement

Dear Friends of Cave Canem, I am writing to inform the Cave Canem community that I will be passing the honor of serving as the President of the Cave Canem…

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28th of January 2019

DOGBYTES Interview: Karisma Price

Karisma Price is a Cave Canem fellow and 2018 Best of the Net Nominee. Born and raised in New Orleans, LA, she holds a BA in creative writing from Columbia…

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3rd of January 2019

Cave Canem Year in Review: 2018

The New Year brings with it reflection on the past and anticipation for the future. As we welcome what’s ahead, we also take the time to both acknowledge and celebrate…

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28th of November 2018

A Look Back at the Cave Canem Poetry Prize

This November, Cave Canem fellow Julian Randall takes to the mic to share work from his Cave Canem Poetry Prize-winning debut Refuse (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2018), selected by Hurston/Wright…

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27th of November 2018

Apply to the 2019 Cave Canem Retreat!

Cave Canem’s week-long retreat will be held at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, Pennsylvania, June 9 – June 15, 2019. This year’s world-class faculty includes poets Cornelius Eady, Ruth Ellen Kocher, Dawn Lundy…

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5th of November 2018

DOGBYTES Interview: Dustin Pearson

Dustin Pearson is the author of Millennial Roost (Eyewear Publishing, 2018), and a McKnight Doctoral Fellow in Creative Writing at Florida State University. The recipient of fellowships from Cave Canem…

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26th of October 2018

Cave Canem’s Anti-Oppression Series

Last fall Cave Canem hosted its first ever anti-racism workshop facilitated by poet, social justice advocate and fellow Ama Codjoe. As part of our Lecture & Master Class series, “Walking…

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3rd of October 2018

DOGBYTES Interview: Safiya Sinclair

Safiya Sinclair is a poet and librettist born and raised in Montego Bay, Jamaica. She is the author of Cannibal (University of Nebraska Press, 2016), winner of a Whiting Writers’…

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1st of October 2018

Cave Canem and the Brooklyn Museum Present Soul of a Nation Reading Series

Since 2016, Cave Canem and the Brooklyn Museum have partnered to produce readings that bring together lovers of poetry and visual arts alike. Offered as part of the Museum’s First…

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19th of September 2018

Dogbytes Interview: Lillian-Yvonne Bertram

Lillian-Yvonne Bertram is the author of Personal Science (Tupelo Press, 2017); a slice from the cake made of air (Red Hen Press, 2016); and But a Storm is Blowing From Paradise (Red Hen Press, 2012), chosen by…

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4th of September 2018

A Look into Cave Canem’s Poets Tour Program

Cave Canem’s Poets Tour provides opportunities for Cave Canem fellows to share their work with diverse audiences and help sustain the nation’s premier home for Black poetry. Through the program,…

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16th of August 2018

DOGBYTES Interview: Dawn Lundy Martin

Dawn Lundy Martin is a poet, essayist, and conceptual-video artist. She is the author of four books of poems: Good Stock Strange Blood (Coffee House, 2017); Life in a Box is a Pretty Life (Nightboat…

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2nd of August 2018

Submit to the 2018 Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize

The 2018 Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize is now open for submission!  Launched in 2015, the prize is dedicated to the discovery of exceptional chapbook-length manuscripts by Black…

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1st of August 2018

Announcing the Winner of the 2018 Cave Canem Poetry Prize

Cave Canem congratulates Malcolm Tariq, whose manuscript Heed the Hollow has been selected by prize judge Chris Abani as winner of the 2018 Cave Canem Poetry Prize. Abani notes that the collection…

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Apply to Cave Canem’s Fall 2018 Workshops

Applications are now open for Cave Canem’s fall 2018 workshops! Since 1999, these free and low-cost community-based workshops for Black writers and writers of color have offered rigorous instruction and…

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25th of July 2018

Highlights from Cave Canem’s Working Fellowship and Internship Program

Designed to cultivate the next generation of arts administrators of color, the working fellowship and internship program at Cave Canem teaches fellows and interns the ins and outs of nonprofit…

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3rd of July 2018

The 2018 Retreat Album

Cave Canem’s week-long retreat, held annually at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, offers an unparalleled opportunity for Black poets to study with a world-class faculty and join a community…

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29th of June 2018

Revisiting “A Tribute to June Jordan”

Last month, Cave Canem fellows, faculty and friends convened at The CUNY Graduate Center for A Tribute to June Jordan, a day-long celebration of the writer’s work and life. Poet…

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20th of June 2018

Announcing the Winner of the 2018 Northwestern University Press Poetry Prize

Cave Canem and Northwestern University Press congratulate Tsitsi Jaji on receiving the 2018 prize for her second book of poems, Mother Tongues, selected by Matthew Shenoda. The Cave Canem Northwestern…

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8th of June 2018

The National Endowment for the Arts Finds that Poetry Reading is on the Rise

Brooklyn, NY (June 8, 2018)— Yesterday, the National Endowment for the Arts released information confirming that poetry reading is on the rise. Specifically, according to the NEA’s Director of Research and Analysis…

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21st of May 2018

Introducing the 2018 Cave Canem Fellows!

With the 2018 Retreat fast approaching it is a pleasure to introduce this year’s 2018 Retreat fellows, both new and returning!            

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9th of April 2018

DOGBYTES interview: Layla Benitez-James

Layla Benitez-James is an artist and translator living in Alicante, Spain. Her chapbook, God Suspected My Heart Was a Geode But He Had to Make Sure, published by Jai-Alai Books,…

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28th of March 2018

DOGBYTES interview: Aaron Coleman

A Cave Canem Fellow and Fulbright Scholar from Metro-Detroit, Aaron Coleman is the winner of the Tupelo Quarterly Poetry Contest, The Cincinnati Review Schiff Award, and the American Literary Translator…

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20th of March 2018

Cave Canem at AWP Tampa

Earlier this month, Cave Canem joined hundreds of literary institutions and thousands of writers in Tampa, Florida for the annual AWP conference. Cave Canem kicked off the week with its Annual…

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7th of March 2018

Photo by Yanyi
DOGBYTES Interview: Derrick Austin

A Cave Canem fellow and Assistant Poetry Editor at Memorious, Derrick Austin’s poems and essays can be found in numerous publications such as Best American Poetry 2015, New England Review, Image:…

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1st of March 2018

Cave Canem’s Fellows & Faculty Exquisite Corpse

Throughout the month of March, Poetry Coalition members will present multiple programs on the theme “Where My Dreaming and My Loving Live: Poetry & the Body,” which borrows a line from U.S. Poet Laureate…

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21st of February 2018

History as Muse: A Review of Tyehimba Jess’ Master Class

On the evening of Thursday, February 1st, Cave Canem’s DUMBO office was filled with ragtime and jazz as participants in “Poetry’s Musical Bloodline: A Sociohistorical Soundtrack,” settled into their seats.…

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20th of February 2018

Yolanda Wisher
DOGBYTES Interview: Yolanda Wisher

Named the inaugural Poet Laureate of Montgomery County Pennsylvania in 1999 and the third Poet Laureate of Philadelphia in 2016, Yolanda Wisher is a Cave Canem fellow whose work has…

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18th of January 2018

DOGBYTES interview: Ama Codjoe

Ama Codjoe has received fellowships from Cave Canem Foundation and Callaloo Writers Workshop. Her Pushcart Prize nominated poems have appeared in African Voices, Tidal Basin Review, Pluck!, Washington Square, Apex Magazine and are forthcoming in Callaloo. As the former…

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10th of January 2018

Cave Canem Wins $100,000 Spark Prize

Cave Canem Foundation has been named a recipient of Brooklyn Community Foundation’s annual Spark Prize, a distinction that includes a grant award of $100,000 in general operating support. Now in…

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19th of November 2017

Support the Home for Black Poetry

“…when you look at all the poets whose work has blossomed under the arbor of Cave Canem, you see an actual transformation of American literature. It’s been the most extraordinary…

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30th of October 2017

DOGBYTES Interview: t’ai freedom ford

t’ai freedom ford is a New York City high school English teacher and Cave Canem Fellow. Her poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in Drunken Boat, No, Dear, The African…

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25th of October 2017

Apply to the 2018 Cave Canem Retreat!

Cave Canem’s week-long retreat will be held at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, Pennsylvania, June 10 – June 16, 2018. This year’s world-class faculty includes poets Chris Abani, Cornelius Eady, Evie Shockley, Amber…

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10th of October 2017

DOGBYTES Interview: Aricka Foreman

Aricka Foreman‘s poetry and prose have appeared in The Drunken Boat, Minnesota Review, RHINO, Day One, Phantom, shufPoetry, James Franco Review, thrush, Vinyl, PLUCK!, and Please Excuse This Poem: 100…

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3rd of October 2017

Parneshia Jones Appointed President of Cave Canem’s Board of Directors

Cave Canem is thrilled to announce the appointment of Parneshia Jones as president of the Foundation’s board of directors. Jones’s term began October 1, 2017, and is preceded by that…

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20th of September 2017

DOGBYTES Interview: Darrel Alejandro Holnes

Cave Canem fellow Darrel Alejandro Holnes is the co-editor of On Poetics, Identity & Latinidad: CantoMundo Poets Speak Out, Happiness, The Delight-Tree: An Anthology of Contemporary International Poetry, co-author of…

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2nd of August 2017

We’re Hiring!

Cave Canem is seeking two part-time working fellows to join its team in Brooklyn. Cave Canem Foundation, Inc. Founded in 1996 to remedy the isolation and under-representation of African American poets…

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17th of July 2017

The Poetry Coalition Receives $200,000 Ford Foundation Grant

As a founding member of the Poetry Coalition, Cave Canem Foundation is delighted to announce that the Ford Foundation has granted the Coalition $200,000 for nation-wide contemporary poetry programs focused…

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28th of June 2017

Cave Canem 20/20: A Celebration Both Timely and Profound

For Cave Canem Foundation and the two hundred attendees visiting Weeksville Heritage Center over this past Memorial Day weekend, Cave Canem 20/20: A Panoramic View of Black Poetry marked a…

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22nd of June 2017

Tracy K. Smith Appointed 22nd U.S. Poet Laureate

Tracy K. Smith, recipient of the 2002 Cave Canem Poetry Prize, has been named the 22nd U.S. Poet Laureate. During her term, Smith hopes to expand the reach of poetry…

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7th of June 2017

DOGBYTES Interview: John Murillo

John Murillo’s first poetry collection, Up Jump the Boogie, was a finalist for both the 2011 Kate Tufts Discovery Award and the PEN Open Book Award. His other honors include a 2011…

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29th of March 2017

DOGBYTES Interview: Clint Smith

Clint Smith is a writer and doctoral candidate at Harvard University and has received fellowships from Cave Canem, the Callaloo Creative Writing Workshop, and the National Science Foundation. He is…

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16th of March 2017

#SaveTheNEA

Cave Canem Foundation, in league with members of the Poetry Coalition and other arts organizations across the U.S., is committed to challenging the proposed defunding of the National Endowment for…

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24th of February 2017

DOGBYTES Interview: Tara Betts

Tara Betts is the author of Break the Habit and Arc & Hue. Her chapbooks include the upcoming Never Been Lois Lane; 7 x 7: kwansabas; and THE GREATEST!: An…

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30th of December 2016

Nicole Sealey Appointed Cave Canem Foundation Executive Director

The Board of Directors of Cave Canem Foundation, Inc., North America’s premier home for black poetry, is pleased to announce that Nicole Sealey has been appointed the organization’s next Executive…

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6th of December 2016

Poetry Organizations from Across the U.S. Join Together to Form Historic Coalition & Launch March 2017 Programs on Migration

December 6, 2016—Twenty nonprofit poetry organizations from across the United States have formed a historic coalition dedicated to working together to promote the value poets bring to our culture and…

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16th of November 2016

DOGBYTES Interview: Kyle Dargan

Kyle Dargan is the author of four collections of poetry, Honest Engine (2015), Logorrhea Dementia (2010), Bouquet of Hungers (2007) and The Listening (2003), all published by the University of Georgia…

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27th of October 2016

Lucille Clifton & Sonia Sanchez: Mirrors & Windows

In this Legacy Conversation from 2001, former faculty Lucille Clifton and Sonia Sanchez read and discuss their work with fellow Eisa Davis. “I borrow something from Rudine Sims who said…

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Artistic Director Karma Mayet Johnson
Freedom Now! A Success on October 19, 2016

Artistic Director Karma Mayet Johnson and her inter-generational village of poets and musicians rocked the stage on Wednesday, October 19, with an evening-long concert of artistic rebellion celebrating Cave Canem’s…

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28th of September 2016

Cave Canem Awarded the 2016 Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation

We’re pleased to announce that Cave Canem has been awarded the National Book Foundation’s 2016 Literarian Award, a $10,000 prize for outstanding service to the American literary community. The award…

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14th of September 2016

Cave Canem Seeks Grants Manager

Cave Canem Foundation seeks a Grants Manager to maintain a portfolio of current corporate, foundation, and government funding, and to research, identify and procure new sources of funding in all three areas.…

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6th of September 2016

Cave Canem Seeks Executive Director

Cave Canem Foundation seeks an Executive Director to build on our successful 20-year history and lead our organization to continued cultural advancement. Applications accepted through October 10, 2016. Visit our Employment…

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25th of August 2016

We’re hiring: Apply for a working fellowship!

Cave Canem seeks an Amazon Literary Partnership Fellow. Learn more on our Employment page.

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3rd of August 2016

And the Winners Are . . . Cave Canem Poetry Prize & Cave Canem Northwestern U. Press Poetry Prize

Cave Canem is pleased to announce that Kwame Dawes has selected Natalie J. Graham’s manuscript, Begin with a Failed Body, for the 2016 Cave Canem Poetry Prize. Natalie will receive…

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26th of July 2016

‘I’m With You’: Poetry Foundation marks 20 years of Cave Canem

In a new interview piece, Sara Ivry speaks with five members from the Cave Canem community. Co-founders Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady; faculty member Terrance Hayes; Rio Cortez, inaugural winner…

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5th of July 2016

Tina Chang & Tracy K. Smith’s conversation on poetry and friendship

In their talk at Cave Canem on May 19, “The Spirit That Is Charged: A Conversation about Poetry and Friendship,” Tina Chang and Tracy K. Smith offered a glimpse into…

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21st of June 2016

DOGBYTES Interview: Tyehimba Jess

Detroit native Tyehimba Jess’ first book of poetry, leadbelly, was a winner of the 2004 National Poetry Series. Library Journal and Black Issues Book Review both named it one of the…

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7th of June 2016

DOGBYTES Interview: Evie Shockley

2016 Cave Canem retreat faculty member Evie Shockley is the author of four collections of poetry—most recently, the new black, winner of the 2012 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award in Poetry—as well as…

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23rd of May 2016

DOGBYTES Interview: Camille Rankine

Camille Rankine’s first full-length collection of poetry, Incorrect Merciful Impulses was published by Copper Canyon Press in January 2016. She is the author of the chapbook Slow Dance with Trip Wire,…

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18th of May 2016

Cave Canem Poets Win Awards

Brooklyn, NY  (12 May 2016)—Cave Canem Foundation, North America’s premier home for black poetry, congratulates seven recipients of prestigious national awards: fellows Rio Cortez, LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs, Ross Gay,…

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11th of May 2016

DOGBYTES Interview: Jericho Brown

Jericho Brown is the recipient of a Whiting Writers Award and fellowships from the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University and the National Endowment for the Arts. His…

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26th of November 2015

Jacqueline Jones LaMon Elected President

JACQUELINE JONES LAMON ELECTED PRESIDENT OF CAVE CANEM FOUNDATION Brooklyn, NY (05 October 2015)—Cave Canem Foundation, North America’s premier home for black poetry, is pleased to announce that Jacqueline Jones LaMon…

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24th of November 2015

Gregory Pardlo wins 2015 Pulitzer for Digest

Brooklyn, NY (April 22, 2015)—Cave Canem Foundation, North America’s premier home for black poetry, congratulates Cave Canem fellow Gregory Pardlo, recipient of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his collection Digest,…

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Toi Derricotte to Retire as President: Tribute Fund Established

TOI DERRICOTTE T O RETIRE A S PRESIDENT O F CAVE CANEM FOUNDATION Toi Derricotte Tribute Fund Established to Perpetuate Co‐founder’s Legacy Brooklyn, NY (21 September 2015)—Cave Canem Foundation, North…

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